Mads Pedersen wins Tour of Fyen

The Danish Champion sprints to victory after perfect teamwork by Trek-Segafredo

Danish champion Mads Pedersen sprinted to the win in the Fyen Rundt (Tour of Fyen) Saturday after his Trek-Segafredo teammates controlled the latter part of the 201-kilometer race.

A tricky five-kilometer local lap concluded the fast race, and the USA-registered WorldTour team – the only WorldTour team at the Danish race – led over the four laps and delivered Pedersen perfectly to the final corner where he out-sprinted Michael Morkov (Denmark National Team) for the victory on home soil.

Pedersen: “The team did an outstanding job today. We came here to Denmark to at least win one of the two races, and we knew today that the course suited us really well. Ryan (Mullen) went in the first break, so we didn’t have to pull too early. For me, it was important to be with the team at the front for the local laps when we had 20kms to go.”

I told the guys if we are in a good position for the last corner with 300 meters to go it would be the best and we would have a podium.

An early breakaway of nine riders moved clear in the first kilometers with Trek-Segafredo’s Ryan Mullen but was brought back with 50 kilometers remaining, and attacks began in earnest once again. Two riders escaped, and Trek-Segafredo settled in to lead the chase with all five teammates contributing to the pace-setting.

“In a race like today we know that it is never easy,” explained director Dirk Demol. “We are here as the only WorldTour team, and then it is you against the rest. We took the race in hands, we had a long breakaway that Ryan was in, so that was good, but it was chased back with 50kms to go, and then two riders went so we had to pull the rest of the day. The team did a fantastic job – Laurent (Didier) first in the circuits and then Matthias (Brändle) and Ryan (Mullen), and then Boy (van Poppel) was bringing Mads into a very good position at the end.”

With Trek-Segafredo controlling the circuits and lead-out extraordinaire Van Poppel leading the charge to the final corner, Pedersen made good on his promise:

“The circuit was dangerous with the traffic islands and constant right, left and the cobblestones also. I told the guys if we are in a good position for the last corner with 300 meters to go it would be the best and we would have a podium. The guys, they put me there, and we had the win, so it was a perfect day. This is for sure a team victory – the whole team was racing amazing today.”

On paper, Trek-Segafredo had the strongest team in the race, but out on the road, anything can happen, especially when the other teams combine against you. Director Dirk Demol praised the team’s effort, and was pleased with how young Pedersen performed in his leadership role:

“Like I said, it’s never easy in races like this as we had to ride against the whole peloton, but they did it. It was a super-fast race – 200kms with an average of 46km/h – it was a real race, believe me.

“Chapeau to what Mads did today because it’s only one of the only few races in Denmark that he can do, and he took responsibility – he said already with 20kms to go that when they bring me to the last corner, I am going to win.”